Joseph auld



(No Model.)

J.- AULD.

INSIDE WINDOW BLIND.

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JOSEPH AULD, OF BURLINGTON, VERMONT.

INSIDE WINDOW=BLIND.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 355,046, dated December 28, 1836.

Application tiled June 10, 185. Renewed Juize-8, 1886. Serial No. 204.547. (No model.)

To @ZZ whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, Josnrrr AULD, a citizen of the United States, residing at Burlington, inthe county of Chittenden and State of Vermont, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Inside Window-Blinds, of which the following is a specitication, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

My invention relates to improvements in inside window-blinds,` in which the blind is composed of movable slats, by which the pas` sage of air and light can'be regulated; and the objects of my improvements are, rst, to provide a simple and inexpensive device for suspending the blind or slats in such a manner as will readily allow them to assume whatever angle is desired; second, to afford facilities for enabling the slats to'be lowered from the top or raised from the bottom of the window, or, if preferred, they may be made to occupy any section ot' the window; third, to -so construct and arrange the mechanism by which the slats are operated that they shall be securely and automatically held in any of the positions in which they are placed without being compelled to resort to the inconvenientsystem of belaying the operating-cords; and, fourth, to

- provide a simple and convenient mode of sliding the slats, which shall eft'ectually prevent them from swinging by reason of air-currents through the open window. I attain these objects by the mechanism illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which similar letters indicate like parts.

Figure l is a front elevation of a blind embodying my invention. Figs. 2, 3, and 5 are details of the same. Fig. 4 is a vertical section of a window-frame, showing the slotted moldings.

A isthe ordinary window-frame. B is the lintel. O is the sill. DVD are thejambs. c e are the several slats which constitute the window-blind. These slats are horizontally snspended, being flexibly connected or secured together in the manner commonly known as that of the Venetian blind.

rJhe cords a a, by which the blind NV is suspended and operated, are designed to run in a space between the interior faces of the top and side casings and suitably-rabbeted strips or moldings,which, for reasons of convenience of access and ornamental nish, I prefer to removably attach to the exterior faces of the jambs.

rI`he top bar or piece, F, of the series of slats end of the wire which forms the ring, and then 6 5 knotted to prevent it from being drawn through the coil.

As shown in Fig. 3, the end of the cord a is first passed through the coil c', and then theend of the cord is tied into one or more knots 7o until it is made too large to pass through the coil. In this manner the coil and cord are fastened together.

The spring is used at the end of each cord a., so as to prevent any dropping movement of the weights from breaking or straining the cords, and'to prevent any jerking movement from being transmitted to the blind.

Thus constructed and suspended, the bar F can be easily oscillated or turned to any angle, 8o

as the loop b readily slides through the cordring c as the bar' is turned, and will remain in the position in which it is left by reason of the circular shape of the loop.

VThe side strips or moldings, G G, I prefer to 8 5 make as shown in cross-section, Figs. 2 and 4. The interior face, g', is suitably rabbeted to receive the metallic weight II,which isintended to slide within it and against the face of the jambs D D. These weights are preferably 9o made flat and of sufiicient size to counterbalance the weight ofthe blind. To prevent them from sliding too easily within' the recess g, I attach to either or both of their vertical edges suitable semi-elliptical friction bearing- 9 5 springs, h, which are designed to press against the corresponding sides ofthe recess g. il isa rectangular groove or opening cut lengthwise through the face of the side strip or molding,

G, communicating with the recess g, to allow roo This loop 6o for the projection of the handle or knob J, which is rigidly attached to the weight H, and is designed to project through the groove/t' sufficiently far to be conveniently grasped by the hand and moved vertically, with the weight to which it is secured, to such position as itis desired the blind shall occupy in the window. S0 that by raising or lowering the weight H, by means of the knob J on one side of the win dow, the blind W' is raised or lowered from or to the sill C, or by raising or lowering the Weight H, by means of the knob J on the opposite side of the window, the blind IV is lowered from or elevated to the lintel B.

If preferred, it is apparent that the weights H H may be se arranged as to slide vertically within the opening of the window and against the interior face of the jambs D D, instead of within the rabbeted portion g of the moldings G G, without changing the spirit of my invention, in which event the longitudinal grooves i i will be cut through the face of thejambs to allow for the projection of the knobs J J.. I prefer, however, the use of the rabbeted moldings G G, (shown in the drawings) as being more convenient and reliable in operation.

When the blind \V is so suspended as to entirely cover` the window, the cords c a,by which the top bar, F, is held up to the lintel B, pass up through the channeled strip or molding which is attached to the casing of the lintel, and thence along the channel in the strip to the i rabbeted recess g of the strip or molding G on one ofthejambs D, (the one on the left hand, as shown in the drawings) thence down the recess g till they reach the weight H, near its lower end, to the top of which weight they are both secured.

The cords m., by which the bottom bar, N, of the blind W is operated after being secured to this bar, extend upward through an opening in the several slats a short distance Withink the cords a. rIhence they pass into the channeled strip on the lower face of the lintel, and along this channel to the recess g in the strip G ,on the opposite side of thewindow-frammithence down this recess a short distance to the top of the weight H, to which they are both secured. By this simple arrangement of cords and weights it is obvious that the slats E E can be quickly and conveniently manipulated so as to cover all or any part of the open window, and in whatever position they are placed by the sliding of either or both of the weights H, orby raising or lowering either bar of the blind itself, in that position they are automatically and securelyjheld by reason'of the counterbalancingfandthe friction of the weights to which the operating-cords lare connected.

No belayingpins or other similar 'devices are required to temporarily hold or control the operating-cords. At the same time the vertical movement of the blind, instead of being limited to the elevation of the bottom bar only to the place desired, can be extended to any point in the entire length of the window.

f The whole window can be covered or opened, or any section of it can be protected and the remainder left uncovered, by either raising the bottom Abar or lowering the top bar, or both, by sliding either of the knobs J up 0r down, according to the position in the window it is desired to have the blind occupy, or, if more convenient, moving ther blind itself.

As the weights connected with the bars F and N are so arranged as to move simultaneously with them, the slats E, of which the blind WV is composed, are readily moved into the position desired, Iwhere they are at once held automatically,without additional fastening, until changed by the operator.

To guard against the swinging of the slats by reason of the pressure against them of aircurrents, particularly through the opening made by raising or lowering of the Sash, I form tenons n, or similar projections, onthe ends of each slat, which are designed to slide in corresponding vertical grooves or spaces on the face of the windowg' ambs directly opposite the ends of the tenons, as the blind hangs naturally in the window. These side grooves, av, can be cut in the exterior face of the side strips or moldings, G, near the edge toward the sash; or they can be formed by attaching another strip to each windowjamb parallel with the inner edgeof the moldings G G, leaving aspace of sufficient width between it andthe molding for the entrance and sliding of the slat tenons or projections a; or `by using sash-stops of sufficient width to allow for the free vertical movement of the slats the space between the stops and the molding G may constitute the sliding groove; the design being to eifectually prevent the transverse or lateral movement of the blind by confining the ends of slats flexibly connected together in grooves in such a manner that the vertical movement or sliding of the blind shall be in no way impeded. By raising one end of the slats E E they can be removed from the groove at any time.

I am aware that counter-weight-s have been connected to the bottom portion of a blind, and this feature I disclaim.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to Vsecure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The combination of a flexible blind composed of slats, and which is adapted to be raised and lowered at its top, the wire loop b, which has its ends attached to opposite edges of the top bar, F, the cords a, weights I-I, coils c, and rings 0,*the ends of the cords being attached to the coils, substantially as shown.

2. In a slat window-blind, thc combination of the slats E, top and bottom pieces, F N, the cords M, connected to the bottom piece, and which pass up through the slats, and the counter-weight, which is connected to these cords, with the cords a, which are connected to the top piece, a counter-weight connected to these cords, and the grooved slotted side pieces, D, in which said weights slide, each roo IIO

one of the weights b'eing provided with a han- In testimony whereof I do afx my signature ro die, J, which projects through the slot i, subin presence of two witnesses. stantiaiiy its set forth.

3. The blind-Weights H H, having friction JOSEPH AULD. bearing-springs h, to control their movement,

Witnesses:

and provided with handles J J, which project i through grooves t' v1, by which they can be ver- CHARLES E. ALLEN, ticaliy moved, substantially as herein de- W. H. MURDOCK.

scribed, and for the purpose set forth. 

